Brad Arthur is facing the sack if he doesn’t turn around the Eels’ dismal start to the season with Wayne Bennett’s shadow looming large over his shoulder.
The Eels have slipped to 14th two years after making the Grand Final and the club has the longest premiership drought in the NRL stretching back to 1986.
There are doubts Arthur can be the man to deliver the Eels a long-awaited premiership after just one grand final in over a decade at the club.
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The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie believes Arthur is close to being sacked if he can’t turn it around fast.
“Brad Arthur needs results and he needs them now because (like Jason Demetriou) his arse is in a sling as well,” Ritchie said on NRL 360.
Paul Kent believes Arthur and the Eels need to move fast to save their season with their halfback sidelined through injury.
“Parramatta’s season, they can lose control of their season very quickly while Mitch Moses is out if they don’t fix what’s happening at the club right now,” Kent said.
“If they go four, five losses in a row (while he’s out) … if it’s six weeks and they lose all six games, suddenly their season is looking very bleak.”
Arthur has now coached 259 games without a premiership – the fifth-most in NRL history without winning a premiership.
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Braith Anasta believes Arthur can coach, but he needs to win a title.
“I think he’s an awesome coach but he hasn’t had much success in terms of premierships,” Anasta said.
Brent Read believes Arthur is under huge pressure to keep his job.
“He’s gotta be under the pump,” Read said.
“As much as we love him, and I think he’s a good coach. But 11 years at the club, one grand final, missed the finals last year. I think he has to be (under pressure).
“I think if you have 11 years at a club and you don’t win a premiership, your time’s probably up, it’s time to get a new voice in there.
“Look at the club – their reserve grade (team) is last, their Jersey Flegg is last – hasn’t won a game. There’s not players coming through. This is one of the great pathway clubs in Sydney and they don’t seem to be bringing anyone through… It’s stunning!”
Kent agreed Arthur is a very good coach, but the great ones win premierships.
“I think Brad Arthur’s a quality coach too,” Kent said.
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“What he’s got to prove to Parramatta is he’s got them to the grand final – he nearly got there.
“Can he show that he can rebuild and get them back there? He can’t go all the way back (to the bottom) and start again. They won’t have the patience for that. He can only take a step or two back.
“Last year was a real kick in the guts for Parramatta fans and the Parramatta club itself. This year has to be a vast improvement on that.
“He took over, they were 15th or 16th when he took over. He’s taken them from there to a grand final, which is a pretty impressive effort in itself. But he can’t let it get back to there again, because they won’t have the patience to let him rebuild.
“He’s got to get moving pretty much straight away.”
However, Ritchie believes the Eels’ title window has closed.
“Brad’s had the ability and the clout to assemble a very good football team,” Ritchie said.
“I can’t help but think that 2022 was their chance. I think the window is now closed.
“I think it has. I’ve closed it. I don’t think they can win the comp. I’m not saying that’s a slight on Brad Arthur. I just don’t think this team can win the comp and I don’t think the time is there for Brad Arthur to rebuild the entire squad.”
Brent Read believes finals is an accomplishment for this team.
“If they make the eight they’ll have done well,” Read said.
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“They weren’t in my eight before the season started. No, I don’t think they can win the comp.”
Anasta agreed, saying he doesn’t believe they can win the competition.
“Unfortunately not,” Anasta said.
“I’d love to give Parramatta fans a bit more. But the start of the year though – that wasn’t so far ago – they looked like they could compete with the best teams in the comp. It’s just, they struggle to play a full season at the highest quality.”
Read believes Wayne Bennett is the man to replace Arthur and deliver the Eels a drought-breaking premiership as he did with the Dragons.
“I’ve got to say, the other elephant in the room is Wayne Bennett with Parramatta,” Read said.
“There was a link with them earlier in the season… If Parramatta want to go down that path, he would seem a perfect fit for that footy club and that squad.”
Kent agreed Bennett won’t go to Souths while there is a chance he could land at the Eels because they are more ready to win a premiership.
“I’m absolutely certain that Wayne is just sitting there waiting to see what happens with Parramatta,” Kent said.
“That’s why I don’t think he’s in any hurry to get to Souths. I think Souths is going to be his last option.
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“If it’s Wayne’s choice, he goes to Parramatta because they’ve got two good halves. They’ve got the basis there as a club to rebuild. They’re starting mid-table, you put a couple of real choice picks around those two halves, they can get you there. They’ve got the fullback who can get you there. They are premiership-winning calibre, those guys. And Souths, I would argue, don’t have that.
“Souths, you’ve got the problems you’re going to inherit with Latrell at fullback, with Cody – his age, he’s only got however many more years left; and they’re still trying to find a halfback.”
Ritchie agreed the challenge of breaking the Eels premiership curse would appeal to Bennett’s competitive nature.
“Bennett loves a challenge, too,” Ritchie said.
“And Parramatta is a new horizon for him. He’s been to Souths.”
“I tell you what he loves more than a challenge? Premierships!” Kent said.
“He’ll go to the team that’s best situated right now to win a Premiership.”
“If I was putting my money on anywhere – yes … (but) I still think Brad can fix Parramatta. I still think he can do the job, but it has to turn around quickly.”
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